Explosive-engine.



C. M. STRQUD.'

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLlcATloN mann/m. 9. 1912.

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` EXPLOSIVE ENGINE. APPLICATION Flu-:D MAR. 9, 1912.

1,149,867. Patented Aug. 1o, 1915.

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WEB STATES l TEN tllllllfii..

HARLES M. STR'UB, 0F MINNEPGLIS, MNNESOTA, ASSIGNGR OF @NE-HALF TQ SANFORD H. SHLEY, 0F GRAND FORKS, NORTE. DAKOTA.

EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

Specicaton of 'Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. lll, 1915.

i'pplication filed March 9, 1912. Serial No. 682,687.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES M. S'rnoun, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosivengines; and l do hereby declare the ollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventionr such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

/ly invention relates to explosive or internal combustion engines, and' has for its object to simplify the construction and improve the action thereof.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of de' vices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

ln the development of the commercial exlosive engine, especially those designed for -igh speeds, it has been -found that high efficiency demands an extremely large exhaust port for the escape of spent gases.

'i `ttexnpted provisions for this action have losen made chiefly in two ditlerent Ways, tovvit, by increasing the size of the exhaust port end exhaust valve, and by the use of complicated and expensive arrangements of teleseoped cylinders and means'for reciproeating one or several of the said cylinders. Attempted improvements along the rst noted yline have found a serious obstacle, in the fact that when valves of the puppet type, usually employed, are made large and, consequently, relatively heavy, they will be rapidly pounded to pieces, and frequently broken when the engine is run at high speed. The second scheme, as already indicated, requires a large number of parts that are expensive to construct and apply, are subject to much Wear, are likely to get out of order andy have the general objections resulting from complication of mechanism. l. My invention accomplishes the desirable objects above `noted byA a novel, extremely simple and inexpensive arrangement of a rotary controlling valve, the preferred construction and arrangement of which will be hereinafter described in detail. l

My improved arrangement of the rotary controlling valve is capable of use in "onnecticn either 'with two cycle or four cycle explosive or internal combustion engines, laut has certain features which are especially adapted for use in connection with engines of the latter noted type.

ln the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention incorporated in an explosive engine of the fourcycie type, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section taken centrally through the cylinder, piston cranlr shaft casing and controlling valve of the our-cycle engine, showing the position of the piston and valve j ust after it has started its intake or suction stroke; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the irregular line :e2 Ir? on Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a view corresponding in line of its section to Fig. l, but with some parts removed and shows the position of the piston just after it has commenced its compression stroke; Fig.V 4S is a horizontal section taken on the irregular line er on Fig. 3; Fig. o is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing the position of the piston just after it has commenced its Working or explosion stroke; Fig. is a horizontal section talren on the irregular line m5 m6 on Fig.' 5; Fig. 7 is e View corresponding to Figs. 3 and 5, showing the position or the piston just after it has commenced its exhaust stroke; Fie'. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the irregular line .rg s on Fig. 7, showing also the base and certain other parts of the engine; Fig. 9 is a detail view in elevation showing the rotary controlling valve removed from working position; and Fig. l0 is a horizontal section taken on the line 601 m10 on Fig. 9, some parts being shown in ful he engine cylinder l is shown as supported on a crank shaft casing 2 of suitable construction. Extended longitudinally of the cylinder l with its axis parallel to the axis thereof and closely adjacent to one wall of said cylinder, is a cylindrical valve seat casing 3, preferably, and as shown, formed in a part cast integral with the said cylinder. The said vulve seat casing 3, at its lower end, opens into ,the crank shaft casing 2. The Walle, between the cylinder and the valve seat casing maybe very thin, so that the said cylinder and valve seat are brought very closely together, and in the said wall 4, is a long port 5 that extends longitudinally of the cylinder and is approximately coextensive with the movement of the upper or inner face of the piston. F or a reason which will hereinafter appear, this port 5 is provided near its lower or outer extremity with a transverse bridge 6. The piston 7 is connected, by the usual crank rod S, to a suitable crank shaft 9 journaled in bearings on the sides of the crank shaft casing 2. Outside of the casing 2 th crankshaft 9 is provided with a sprocket 10. Journaled in an extended portion of the casing 2 and projecting therefrom is a counter shaft 11 provided at its outer end with a sprocket 12, over which and the sprocket l() runs a sprocket chain 13. The sprocket 12 is twi'ce the diameter of the sprocket 10, so that the counter shaft 11 will be given one rotation for each two rotations of the crank shaft. Rotatively mounted in the valve casing 3 is the controller valve, the construction of which will be presently described. This controller valve is, as shown, provided with a depending shaft 14 journaled at its lower end in a bearing located within the crank shaft casing 2. The counter shaft 11 and valve stem 14 are provided with intermeshing gears l5 and 1G, respectively. Preferably, the gear 16 is seated on a thrust resisting ball bearing 17.

The outer wall of the valve casing 3 is formed with an admissionport 18 and an exhaust port 19, spaced apart vertically, and both located 180 degrees from, or diametrically` opposite to the long. cylinder port 5. The admission port 18 is olfset from the upper portion of the cylinder port 5, in a direction longitudinally of the valve seat.

The rotary controlling valve, for a highly important reason, is made up of a cylindrical body portion 2O and a, longitudinally split expansible shell 21. This expansible shell 21 is preferably approximately the same length as the body 20, or at any rate, is made long enough-to cover all of the ports 5, 18 and 1f), and it is made much like a cylinder packing ring and has an expamling spring action which causes the same to closely lit the cylindrical wall of the valve seat 5S and maintain a tight joint therewith. Said expansihle shell 21 nray'be caused to rotate with and act as a part of the controlling valve, by means of dowel pins 22 applied, as shown, in Fig. 10. The lower end of the body of tie valve 20 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the valve stem 14. rlhis controlling valve is provided with an approxin'iately diametrical admission port Q3 that extends obliquely through the body and expansible-shell of the said valve, so that its opposite extremities lie in different longitudinal zones of the said valve. Otherwise stated, the upper extren'iity of the said port 23 is at such altitude that it will cooperate only with the upper extremity of the long cylinder port 5, but will never aline with the admission port 13: and, on the other hand, the lower extremity of the said port is so located that it will aline with the said admission port 1S, once in each complete rotation of the said valve and,

consequently, once for each two complete rotations of the engine crankshaft. The said controlling valve. is further provided with an Vexhaust port S24, that extends diametrically through the body and spring expansible shell 'of the said valve and one extremity of which is so located that it will aline with the exhaust port 1S), while the other extremity of said port 24 is elongated vertically or longitudinally ofsaid valve and is so constructed and located that it will aline with the long cylinder port 5 once for each rotation of the said controlling valve and, consequenay, once for each two rotations of the engine crank shaft. -The said admission and exhaust ports 23 and Q4 lie in vertical planes that intersect the axis of the said controlling valve at an angle of 90 degrees.

In the upper end of the valve seat casing 3 is an air passage which coperates with a longitudinal air passage 26 in the body 20 of the controlling valve, to atl'ord a breather port or passagefor the air drawn into and out of the crank shaft casing under movements ofI thepiston. The air passage 26 takes a tortuous or Iwinding course longitudinally through said valve body 20 and clears or avoids communication with the admission and exhaust ports 23 and 24.

Operation: The operation of the engine described, is substantially follows: Referring irstto Figs. 1 and 2 which illustrate the intake or suction movement of the piston, it will be noted that the crank shaft has moved approximately 45 degrees past its inner dead center, which has carried the piston downward far enough to open the upper extremity of the long cylinder port At this time, the controller valve rotating in the direction indicated in Fig. 2, has already moved the valve admission port 23 into communication with the admission port 1S and with the upper extremity of the cylinder port 5 so that the piston has commenced to draw in the explosive' mixture. This communication between the said ports 1S, 23 and 5, will be maintained throughout the continued downward or outward intake movement of the piston, and during approximately the first 90 degrees of the rotary movement of the controller valve. During the in take movement of the piston, the exhaust port 24 is, as it will be noted, kept closed by the walls of the valve seat 3. Next referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noted that the piston has been given an initial comlvn'ession movement and has closed that portion of the long cylinder port 5 which is below the bridge G, thereby closing communication between the cylinder and the valve exhaust port '24. llera, it will be noted that the bridge (S is important because other- Liegen? shown, the cylinivise, in ti e arrangement i nist while the pisder would he open to i ton is making its compression stroke. Dur- 'rhe eontinued compression increment ci' e piston, both lthe admission and exhaust ports the controliing valve remain closed. hen the p' 'on reaches the iinit oi' its compression stroke, it overlris ight-ly sl iin the ui er or inner extremity or tle cylin- A t 5 and closes `the said port 5 at e time when the seid port 5 is also closed by the controlling valve. rhis is important because it affords a double seal against the escupe ci gases from the explosion chamber of the cylinder, at the instant of explosion, et which instant, the internal compression is at a rnaxiinuin. 5 and G illustrate positions of the piston and controller valve after 'the piston has been given a slight or initie-.l part ci' its ivm-hing or explosion propelled stroke. During the entire downward or Working uovernent of the piston, both the admission and exhaust ports of the convolve reniain closed, because the exhaust vulve 2l remains closed at hoth extren by the Walls of the valve seat 3 and the upper extremity or the admission i being longitudinally odset from the admission port 18, is also closed by the Wall of the valve sent casing 3. Here will he noted the reason for longitudinallyT odsetting the opposite extremities of the said admission port 23d, for otherwise, the cylinder will be open to admission of the explosive vapor during the Worlring'strole. Figs. 'i' and 8 indicate positions or" the piston and the controller valve when said piston had heen given a slight or initial part of its exhaust or scavenging movement. Here it will be noted that when the piston is ready to begin its exhaust or scavenging movement, or slightly before, or slightly afterward, the cylinder for the full Working length of the piston movement, is instantly open to exhaust, because the elongated extremity of the vclvc exhaust port 24u is then in connnunicetion with the long cylinder port 5, from end to end thereof. This is of the very greatestV importance, because it ef- 'ords a quick escape for the hot cornp 1esseci gases and allows the same. to es' cupe from the cylinder instantly. Furthermore, this quiclr escupe of the gases ironi the cylinder takes place from the lower :is ivell as from the up er portion of the cylinder and does not cause the gases to pass upward from the piston, und thence outward through gort the upper portion of' the cylinder, es h: hitherto been Thus, the grises their instant ce escupe from th cylinder are reduced to stmospheric pressure,

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qu iclfl y und hence, produce u very slip' nu' pressure the pi on en Qiniininlurn heating effect during This'feeture of opening the cylinder to exhaus-J -through a port extended approximately the full length of the movement of the piston, believe, lo he loro"YI v new and desire to clunn Vthe possible point of view.

The long cylinder port u i he subdivided by additional o ges extend ed hoth transverseiy and longitudinally thereof, and En fact, in practice, 3.' propose to do this simply for the purpose of giving a ltter bearing Vi'or thc packing rings of the piston. Also, as is evident, the long extremity or' the valve exhaust port 2l might be divided, if desired, but, in ellect, the

constitute long ports and would be Within the meaning of the terni long ports, or extended ports, or ports extended upproxiinately the length of the piston stroke, used in this speciiication and in the claims.

Under movements of the piston, the air drawn into and out of the crank shaft casing, is passed inward and outward through 'the breather passages or ports 25 and 26 in the valve'seat and controller valve, respectively, and the eii'ect of this is to keep the said valve comparatively cool. This feature of utilizing a passage through e controller valve of the explosive engine es a breather port, I also believe to be broadly new and desire tov claim the same broadly.

By far the best results are obtained by extending the cylinder port approximately the full length of the piston movement, but a very highly important feature is involved simply in the fact that this cylinder port is extended from a point inward nearly as far as the point reached by the inner end of the piston in its extreme inward movement, outward to e. point reached by the inner end of the piston in its extreme outward movement. This provides an arrangement :in which the burned products vof combustion adjacent to the inner end of the piston may lion' directly outward through the cylinder port as soon :is the seid port is open to exhaust.

Vvhat cleiin is:

l. En an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder and a cylindricul vulve seat located entirely outside oi the seid cylinder iv' h its axis parallel 'to the axis of the said cylinder, said cylinder, having an exhaust port opening into seid valve seat and extending substantially 'the distance of the piston travel, and rotary valve working in seid valve seat and having a port extending approximately the same distance as the port between said cylinder :ind valve seat.

an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder and a cylindricai valve sent located entirely outside of the said cylinder with its aXis parallel to the axis of the said cylinder, seid cylinder having an exhaust port opening into seid valve seat and extending substantially the distance of the piston travel, a rotary valve working in said valve seat and having a .port extending approximately the same distence as the port between said cylinder and valveseut, the said valve having also an admission port that is independent of its eX- heust port, and the seid vulve seat having admission and exhaust ports coperating, respectively, with the admission and exhaust ports of said valve.

The combination with the cylinder and piston of :in explosive engine of the four- CHARLES M. simo'Y Vit-nesses z l F. D. MERCHANT, HARRY D. KILGORE.

of a rotary controlling valve` 

